Theatre Essay: Site Specific Performance

Theatre Essay: Site Specific Performance Site Specific Performance: How has the nature of site-specific performance as a hybrid art-form influenced approaches tosite-specific work in Britain over the last decade? SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION Site-specific performance emerged out of the radicalartistic milieu of the late 1960s and early 1970s that also gave birth tosite-specific work generally. It represents perhaps the most ambitious andrevolutionary re-interpretation of theatre and performance devised in thetwenty-first century. Site-specific performance has influenced site-specificwork in Britain in the past ten years in many ways. This dissertation examinesthree especially strong influences: (1) site-specific performance and its useof audience (2) site-specific performance and its internal debate as to whethersite-specific art is site-exclusive or site generic, and (3) site-specific practitionerstheory of the selection of sites. Before these three principal investigations arediscussed the dissertation briefly reviews the history and origins ofsite-specific performance and its key practitioners. The first major section of this dissertation investigatesand analyses the relationship between site-specific performance and itsaudience. The questions and debates that have arisen from the novel andintimate participation between site-specific performers and their audienceshave had considerable influence upon site-specific work as a whole. Site-specificperformance understands the audience as a vital element of the total productionand not merely as paying members of the public who are isolated from thecreative process. Many performances depend intimately upon the energy andmutual fascination of the subject that exists between performers and audience.Often the audience are part of the performance itself. This intimacy points toa basic philosophical and professional principle of site-specific performancethat reacts against the perceived coldness, frigidity and eliteness oftraditional theatre buildings and instead maintains that theatre andperformance ought to be a socially-levelling ent erprise. The dissertation thereforeasks the prominent questions: Can audience self-identity be altered by aperformance? And: Can original and multiple spectator identities be created bysite-specific performances? The answers to these questions have beeninfluential throughout the whole of the site-specific world. The second-subsection of this section explores therelationship between site-specific performance and the community from which itsaudience is drawn. The success of site-specific performance theorists andpractitioners in showing the great extent to which the community in which aperformance is situated affects the ambiance and attitude of the audienceechoes throughout the site-specific world and informs it of vital lessons. Thisinvestigation of community and audience also highlights how site-specific performancecan work to bring theatre to the masses in an inclusive format that protestsagainst the elitist forms of the past. The final sub-section of this sectionreviews some of the problems variability and limitations of audience forinstance experienced by site-specific performers with respect to audienceand then suggests how these may teach valuable lessons to the rest of thesite-specific world. The second major section of the dissertation examines thekey debate in the literature of site-specific performance as to whether suchperformances should be site-specific or site-generic. That is, whether suchperformances should be free to tour and travel or not? The answers anddiscoveries furnished for this question by site-specific performers arerelevant and influential upon this same debate which penetrates the whole ofthe site-specific community. This debate reaches to the philosophical centre ofsite-specific performance and threatens to bring about a fundamental changewithin the genre. At the heart of the issue is the question of whether aparticular performance, conditioned as it is by the particular environment inwhich it is created, can be moved either physically or spiritually to anothersite. Vehement arguments have been made on both sides of the debate, with manypro-tour performers refuting Richard Serras famous dictum that to removethe work is to destroy it.The dissertation considers as one solution the theoretical postulate of apure model of site-specific performance from which various performancesdeviate in healthily diverse ways. The dissertation then considers in depth theproposal of Wrights Sites whether that the solution to this dilemma mightdepend upon a change in terminology and vocabulary of site-specificperformance. Such a shift of terminology provides site-specific performancewith a greater subtlety of definition and self-identity and therefore overcomesthe apparent impasse suggested by the site-specific site-generic dispute. The final major sub-section of the dissertation considersthe use of space by recent site-specific performers and the influences ofthis use upon site-specific work as a whole. The space within which atheatrical performance may take place was given its most radical revision andprogressive drive in the twentieth- century by the practitioners ofsite-specific performance. Space, in terms of performance, had before theadvent of site-specific theatre been confined near exclusively to traditionaltheatre buildings and to their conventional shapes. The outstanding achievementof site-specific performance has been to vastly extend the range and types of spaceand venue in which a theatrical performance can take place. The dissertationconsiders the implications for performance of such a radical break with thepast, as well as looking at the notions of uninhabitable space and culturalspace. The discoveries made about space by site-specific performers arerelevant for the whole of site-specific work i n Britain. The dissertation concludes with an evaluation and summing-upof all the previous discussion and with an analysis of the future influence ofsite-specific performance upon site-specific work as a whole. SECTION 2: SITE-SPECIFICPERFORMANCE HISTORY It is important to know something of the history ofsite-specific performance when seeking to determine its influence uponsite-specific work in the past decade in Britain. Such a glance at the historyilluminates the evolution of ideas within the genre and shows how they came totake their present form in the twenty-first century. Site-specific performance originated as an outgrowth ofsite-specific artwork movement that began in the late 1960s and early 1970s.Site-specific artwork was a form of art that was created to exist in a certainspace and was conditioned in form by the environment and space of that place.At the centre of the site-specific artwork movement was an attempt to take artout of what was perceived to be the affected and pretentious atmospheres of thegalleries and theatre buildings and to transpose them upon a wider variety ofoutdoor and indoor venues. One useful definition of site-specific performanceis that of the Dictionary of Video Art which states Locations andenvironments may have some kind of drama or meaning for ordinary people butthis has no significance for the bourgeoisie until interpreted by theheightened sensibilities of the director.In other words, the purpose of site-specific performance and its reason forexistence is to make the public aware of the artistic merits of ordinarybuil dings and spaces that have always been of interest to ordinary men butpassed over by the elitist and institutionalised artists of the past. Site-specificperformance often involves a (more or less) political decision to workagainst the dominant discourse of London, its theatre buildings, and itstheatre tradition.Site-specific performance is about a fundamental reorientation of space awayfrom its traditional understanding in British theatre. Site-specific performance has emerged out of this generalartistic milieu in the works of artists and directors such as Peter Brook,Ariane Mnouchkine, Deborah Warner, Gof Brith, Janet Cardiff and in festivals orproduction companies such as Grid Iron, Wrights Sites and the EdinburghFestival. Other recent practitioners include Mac Wellman, Meredith Monk andAnne Hamburger. From the first list two names in particular have been pivotalto the development of site-specific theatre: Peter Brook and Deborah Warner. PeterBrook was one of Britains greatest theatre directors and much of thisgreatness came from his radical style and use of stage both of which are seenas pre-cursors of modern site-specific performance. Brook was deeply influencedby the Theatre of Cruelty by Antonin Artaud and this lead to dramaticproductions such as Jean Genets The Screens in 1964 and Peter Weisss Marat/Sadein 1964 a huge success after its sharp and revolutionary break withtheatre style to that time. Brook brough t a new philosophy to the theatre thatimbued it with a new sense of potential and manipulation of space andenvironment shown well in his productions of Senecas Oedipus and TheEmpty Space. More recently, Deborah Warner has made further developed theseearly origins of site-specific performance with radically different productionssuch as Titus Andronicus (1987), Richard II (1995) and JuliusCaesar (2005). SECTION 3: SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCE: AUDIENCE (A) Audience: General Perhaps the singlegreatest contribution of site-specific performance as a hybrid art-form tosite-specific work as a whole has been the radical transformation andre-constitution of the concept of audience and of how audiences experience liveperformance. When site-specific art first emerged in the late 1960s it appealedto audiences primarily because of the novelty of the form and the novelty ofthe viewing experience. Nonetheless, site-specific art, whilst novel in itself,did not go make any profoundly novel contributions to the nature, identity andconstitution of its audiences. Site-specific work had no yet developed asite-specific critique or paradigm, and this was left in large measure to thepioneers of site-specific performance. The great advantage and breakthroughachieved by modern site-specific performance is that it draws the audience ofinto an intimate participation with that performance; the audience become anessential part of the performance itself. Notable historical examples haveincluded Sirens Crossings Trace and Flight (2000), Wrights SitesThe Quay Thing (1998), Anne Marie Culhanes Night Sky (1997) and TheWhalley Range All Stars Day of the Dummy (1999). Consequently, withsite-specific performance, both performers and spectators reach a profounderdepth of empathy and understanding with the performance that they havewitnessed, than with traditional theatre and even from site-specific work as awhole. In this sense, site-specific performance represents an evolution of thegeneral site-specific art-form towards a level of greater spectator-involvementand identity.The philosophy and theory that underpins this evolution has much to do with areaction against the perceived coldness and unnaturalness of the traditionaltheatre (where the audience are always separated from the performers) and itstendency to promote the values and aims of elite members of society above theaspirations of the ordinary citizen. Site-specific performance however can besaid to be an equalizing art-form: it holds as a basic philosophicalprinciple the belief that the members of the audience are of equal importanceand significance for the meaning and successful execution of a particularperformance as the performers themselves. As such, site-specific theatre andperformance have taught and continue to teach practitioners of site-specificwork generally be it site-specific conceptual art, community art,installation art, public art etc., that the greater the participation andsense of involvement of the audience, the greater will be the efficacy of thatperformance upon both performer and viewer. Site-specific work therefore hasmuch to learn from the techniques, literary interpretations, scene-designs andso on of site-specific performers. This use of audienceby site-specific performers has achieved for the first time, according to FionaWilkie, the sense of a collective audience identity, a knowing audiencethat constructs itself appropriately as an interpretative body via a cumulativeframework of contemporary framework experiences.Thus, site-specific performance asks of the audience members themselves certainbasic existential and artistic questions. For instance: how is an audiencessense of self forged? How and in what ways is an audiences purpose decided?The extent to which site-specific performance achieves this intensive audienceself-interrogation is perhaps unrivalled in all twentieth-century performance art-formsand promises to be one of the few genuinely unique artistic discoveries ofrecent years. Traditional theatremaintains a clear space between audience and performer no matter how elatedor ecstatic a spectator may feel during a traditional performance he is alwaysnonetheless still a mere spectator with no direct influence upon the directionor outcome of the performance. Site-specific performance radically reverses theaudience situation and role and instead makes them central actors in theperformance itself. Site-specific performance also raises the questions of: Canaudience self-identity be altered by a performance? And: Can original andmultiple spectator identities be created by site-specific performances?On the first question it is noted by authors such as Williams and Kwon that theunique process of audience participation in site-specific performance oftenleaves the audience with changed perceptions of identity once the performanceis completed. On the second question, it is also clear from the growingliterature that now surrounds site-specific performance that the form ha s thepotential to create new audience identities as well as to leave differentgroups of the audience with different identity perceptions at the end.From these various observations of audience participation in site-specificperformance it is evident that site-specific work has benefited and learnt anenormous amount about the role of audience and its possible stages oftransformation. Moreover, the far more diverse nature of members ofsite-specific performances alters the mood and atmosphere and perceptions ofthat audience. Rather than being an elite experience attended by only one classof people with, broadly speaking, a single artistic attitude and expectation,the audience is instead a diverse melting-pot of different classes andprofessions of people. (B) Audience Community Site-specificperformance has also raised for general site-specific art the notion of theimportance of the community in which a particular performance or art exhibittakes place. One particular site-specific performance company, The Olimpias,base their work upon questions of site ownership and in line with the theme ofdisability. According to Petra Kuppers, company director, site-specificperformance ought to be attentive to the local community and its ways of inhabitingits environment the company (The Olimpias) work with the community to takenew forms of site, re-interpret the site, keep its history and presence alive.Community then is a crucial extension of the audience and the site factorsinvolved in a site-specific performance. It is the community about a specificwork that is most intimately affected by a performance since that performancethrows new light on and reinterprets that communitys existence in a particularway. Site-specific performance can help to re-invigorate and breathe life intoa community by making it more aware and perceptive of the sites that itoccupies. So too the site-specific performances of Wrights Sitesis interested in the place and in the people who meet us in this place. Thecompany Welfare State International have also expressed a commitment todrawing in local energies and leaving behind a residue of skills and confidenceafter the companys withdrawal .For many companies then site-specific theatre is a performance that takes placein the living space of a particular community and is enacted alongside andwithin the working life of the community. Thus there is an experientialauthenticity that is unique to site-specific theatre. (C) Issues WithAudience Nonetheless, somewriters such as Jan Cohen-Cruzhave argued that taking theatre from established buildings in specific placesto a specific-site does not necessarily create a more intimate audienceenvironment or sense of identity or multiple identities. On this Cohen-Cruzstates: Space is always controlled by someone and exists somewhere, so itis inevitably marked by a particular class or race and not equally accessibleto everyone. one must question whether access to a broader audience really isa difference between performance site-specific and in theatre buildings.Cohen-Cruzs quotation is useful because it sounds a note of caution tosite-specific performers who automatically assume that by merely creatingsite-specific performance of any sort they will immediately achieve a deeper ormore profound sense of audience participation and diversity than would be foundin a traditional theatre. Site-specific performance is a relatively newart-form that is treading into new territory especially with respect to theunderstanding of audience participation and identity. It is therefore to beexpected that a certain exuberance and robust enthusiasm amongst its performersmay sometimes lead to idealizations of the potential of the art-form; that is,a tendency to assume that site-specific performance is a panacea for all limitationsexperienced by traditional-theatre audiences in past centuries. It is prudenttherefore to agree with writers such as Fiona Wilkie that the potentialaudience range and diversity of a site-specific performance is decided not byonly by the nature of the genre itself but by the particular features of thesite itself. Access to such site-specific performances depends nearly entirelyupon the location and type of site chosen for a particular performance.If, for instance, the site chosen for a particular performance is an abandonedwarehouse or factory floor close to several housing estates or residentialareas then it is likely that that performance will be accessible to many peoplewho would be traditionally excluded from a theatre experience. If, however, asite-specific performance is held in a country-estate or at the top of acommercial tower-block then it is far less likely that the audience thatattends will be as diverse and kaleidoscopic as at the performance of in theabandoned factory or warehouse. For instance, the site-specific performancecompany K neehigh Theatrehave reflected how their performance of Hells Mouth in the ClayDistrict of Cornwall a poor and dilapidated area encouraged a far broadersection of the community to attend than would have done the traditionaltheatre. In Kneehighs words: In Hells Mouth last summer, bikers from thearea performed the English/Cornish skirmishes in the Mad Max style Cornwall ofthe future. This theme and reasonable ticket prices, encouraged a stronglocal percentage of audience, who would not normally see the companys work ortheatre of any sort.So too the breadth of the audience of any site-specific work will be determinedalso by the theme and nature of the performance. A site-specific performancethat deals with an esoteric or abstruse subject will not guarantee for itself abroad audience simply by virtue of the fact that it is a site-specific performance. Several site-specificperformance companies have sought to maintain the diversity of their audiencesin the following ways. The Lions Part company, for instance, seek to escapethe bureaucracy of the theatre buildingby providing free access to all performances and free financially also. InFiona Wilkies eloquent phrase: The notion of the performance moves away from thehigh-brow associations of the theatre and closer to reaching a publicwell-versed in the popular culture of gigs, festivals and celebrations. Itemphasizes the significance of the spatial encounter and is conceived as awhole experience for the spectator Wilkie here identifiesa key strength of site-specific performance: its ability and capacity tosynthesize myriad different forms of contemporary art, culture and society andto fuse them into a relevant and meaningful whole. Moreover, site-specificperformance has the unique advantage of being able to manipulate space inwhatever way it likes. A traditional theatre is severely limited in the sensethat its performance can only take place within the predetermined and setdimensions of the theatre building; these dimensions remain the same for everynew production no matter how different such productions might be from eachother. The space and dimensions of a site-specific performance are howeverdetermined and limited only by the space and dimensions of the site itself andthey therefore have a far greater range and flexibility than traditionaltheatre. For instance: a windmill, an abandoned factory, a coffee shop, adoctors surgery, a former nuclear silo all offer different and uniqueexperiences of space for the audience. So too, a site-specific performance mayeven have two separate audiences: one that pays admission and is conscious ofthe performance and another that attends the event for free and is an integralpart of the performance itself. To take an example: when Grid Iron held thesite-specific performance Decky Does a Broncoin numerous childrens playgrounds some audience members bought tickets whilstthe children (attending free) that played in the playground were urged tocontinue their activities and so became part of the setting and the performanceitself. Ben Harrison, director of Decky Does a Bronco, recalls howchildren came to and fro different parts of the performance depending upon thelevel of excitement raised for them by a particular moment or scene from thatperformance; when bored the children would retire to the quieter parts of thepark. In Harrisons useful phrase, this double audience adds to thecomplexity of the event. SECTION 4: SITE-SPECIFICPERFORMANCE: SITE-SPECIFIC ORSITE-GENERIC? Site-specificperformance has contributed significantly to the site-specific as a whole onthe pressing question of whether site specific art should be site-specific or sitegeneric. That is, whether site-specific work should remain rooted in at theexact site of its creation or whether the idea created in a particular site maybe transferred to other similar sites. This question is perhaps the mostvociferously argued debate in site-specific work at present. At stake is thephilosophical and intellectual basis of the movement itself. Site-specific workemerged in the late 1960s as an art-form that made a unique use of site andsite features to influence the shape and form of the design: these sites wereusually highly different or unique from all others and so each sculpture,art-work or performance had its own unique characteristics. Traditionalsite-specific artists of this old-school therefore refute the idea that theidiosyncratic features of a particular site can simply be uprooted andtrans ferred to another site no matter how similar to the original. In RichardSerras famous phrase to remove the work is to destroy the work.In other words: once a site-specific art-piece has been torn from its originalcontext it loses the one thing that made it powerful and unique. Nonetheless,in recent decades such notions of the immovability from and inseparability of asite-specific work from its original setting have been assailed by artistsdriven by market forces and institutional changes in attitude. In one criticswords: Site specificity has become a complex cipher of unstablerelationships between locations an identities in the era of late capitalism.Miwon Kwons work One Place After Another: Site-Specific Art and LocationIdentityis of enormous importance in elucidating the contours and features of thisshift in the direction of site-specific art. The internal movementsof site-specific performance have done much to inform and influence the widersite-specific art of the last decade. In site-specific performance the keyquestion of recent years has been: Can site-specific performance travel? Or:Does Site-specificity mean site-exclusivity? Within the site-specificperformance community this debate as to exclusivity of site has been arguedwith near equal tenacity by both opponents and supporters. Thus, in many ways,the debate appeared recently to have come to a standstill. One way found by site-specificperformers to step beyond this impasse has been to define levels ofsite-specificity. For instance the company Red Earthhas stated: Someprojects are completely site-specific, i.e., they could not take place anywhereelse without losing a strong thread of meaning and connection; while other moreflexible projects may work around a certain sense of place, i.e., the spirit orconcept at the heart of the project would work in several but not all -locations. This quotation then suggests that the term site-specifichas a degree of inherent relativity and flexibility. At one end of thespectrum, the term stands for certain performances that are absolutely rootedin the exact and unique site and community features in which they are set; forsuch performances there is no possibility of moving their ideas to differentsites. At the other end of the spectrum, certain performances can be moved fromsite to site if they preserve or enhance the spirit or primary idea thatbegan the original performance. Between these two poles are various types ofsite-specific performance whose transferability rests upon ambiguous or dubiousprinciples. Justin McKeown of the Whalley Range All Stars suggests that thisrelativity should be defined in terms of site-specific performances that are directlyderived from a chosen siteand therefore have to remain at that site indefinitely, and on the other handbetween performances that can be transferred since they acknowledge and expandupon the inherent meanings within a site. Paul Pinson, of Boilerhouse,has argued further that the relativity of site-specific performance isconditioned by the way that the company engages with the space that it occupiesat a particular site. Pinson suggests further that a performance can bepartially site-specific and partially of another genre and that this hybridity thereforejustifies a company to tour its performances. Pinson states: You canrecreate a work in response to a number of different sites, which is totallyvalid in itself and is an element of site-specificity but is different frommaking a piece of work in response to one specific site. The site-specific or site-generic debate and is plethora ofinterpretations have raised questions about the present purity ofsite-specific performance. Above all: is it possible for theoreticians andpractitioners of site-specific performance to find or derive a pure model ofsite-specific performance, against which hybrid forms of this model might becompared? That is: can one set up construct an ideal paradigm of site-specificperformance and then show how variations of this paradigm are beneficial intheir individual ways? Miwon Kwon has suggested that one definition of thispure model might be To make a truly site-specific piece means it sitswholly in that site in both its content and form, otherwise if moveable, itbecomes more about the site as a vehicle.Variations from this pure model are healthy natural growths from themother-model; the work of site-specific theoreticians is to define thesevariations and to ascribe to each of them independent areas of operation. An alternative to this model of deriving variations ofsite-specific art from a pure or perfect model is to invent a new terminologyfor the art-form. Wrights Siteshave suggested that the terms In theatre building, Outside theatre,Site-Sympathetic, Site-Generic and Site-Specific beused to describe the various degrees of theatre performance. The first two ofthese are clearly beyond the pale of any generally accepted definition ofsite-specific performance. Interestingly however Wrights Sites propose athree-fold division of the genre of site-specific performance. The advantage ofsuch a hierarchy is that it allows greater freedom and subtlety of descriptionwhen deciding to which exact genre a performance of site-specific work belongs.The term site-specific is accordingly reserved for performances that have aprofound and absolute relationship with the specific site in which theperformance is prepared and enacted. Such performances work only at one site,never tour or travel, and do not use pre-existing props or scripts.Nonetheless, one major problem of such a terminology is the difficulty ofassigning the large number of performances that seem to fall between thecategories of site-generic and site-specific. These disputes about definitions and terminology that havearisen in the particular field of site-specific performance are or considerablerelevance and have been of considerable influence upon similar disputes insite-specific work generally. The central question of the debate cansite-specific performance tour is equally relevant to all others types ofsite-specific work, be it sculpture, community art, painting and so on. Byadopting a similar terminology to that of site-specific performancesite-specific work generally might clear up many of its own internal disputes. SECTION 5: SITE-SPECIFIC:TYPES OF SITE Internal debates within the literature of site-specificperformance as to what kind of site to select for its performances hashad considerable influence over similar decisions within site-specific workgenerally. What then can site-specific work generally learn fromsite-specific performance? Above all, perhaps, is the extensive andcomprehensive analysis and exploration of the medium of space undertaken byleading site-specific performers. Richard Schechnerhas stated that theatre places are maps of the cultures where they existand Hetheringtonthat Certain spaces act as sites for the performance of identity. Artisticmanipulation of space is vital to successful site-specific performance, and theunique development in this quest has been the exploration of alternatives typesof space and site in which to perform site-specific theatre. Theatre had forcenturies been largely confined to theatre buildings of one sort or another;the advent of site-specific theatre saw the use of a plethora of differentvenues for performance from coal mines, to hospital wards, to libraries, tocoffee shops and so on ad infinitum. These ventures into alternativesites for performance raised amongst scholars of site-specific performance thekey questions: What are the consequences of such diverse selection of sites?What association will each site bring to the site-specific genre? What are thecommon themes that bind such eclectic choices of venue? On the last question,some attempts have been made by figures such as Hetheringtonto classify these venues in groups: for instance, parks and childrens playareas can be classed with beaches as public spaces. Cohen-Cruzhas argued that such spaces allow site-specific performers to use space that isnormally thought of as publicly inhabitable to entice passers-by to attendthe performance therefore symbolising for the performers the theme of makingperformance accessible. The spaces found in venues such as museums, churchesand galleries are used somewhat differently however. In contrast to p

Hiring the Educated

Hiring the Educated — A New Approach to Staffing the Automobile Factory Dawn Kennedy January 25, 2012 Managing Human Resources Dr. Pat Smallwood Hiring the Educated — A New Approach to Staffing the Automobile Factory Overview: This case shows us how Ford and Chrysler’s workforce and staffing processes have changed over the years. We see how the industry has moved from being dominated by the less educated worker to the highly educated worker and why this phenomenon has taken place. We are also taken through how the new selection process that Ford uses to hire it’s employees, as well as the statistical information surrounding their hiring process. Question 1: What do you think Ford’s overall strategic perspective is? How well does its new selection system support this strategy? Ford’s overall strategic perspective is to hire the highly educated worker in an effort to lower training costs and to be able to succeed in the global market. According to the article, I would that Ford is right on target as far as cutting training costs. As far as succeeding in the global market, the article makes it clear that this remains to be seen, however, my personal opinion is that Ford is a very strong competitor and will continue to be for many years to come. Question 2: What steps are included in Ford’s selection procedure? According to the chapter, what other techniques could it incorporate? Ford’s selection process includes rigorous math and cognitive testing, as well as teamwork skills testing and finally drug testing, followed by a physical exam. Other techniques that could have been incorporated include trainability testing, personality testing, and honesty testing. Question 3: Are there any other factors that are causing the auto companies to alter their selection procedures and look for more educated employees? They are looking for ways to lower training costs and they also need more employees who can supervise themselves due to a lack of adequately trained supervisors. Question 4: How do you think this scenario will play out? Will the educated workers leave? Will they stay? I think the educated workers will stay because they are now the ones that are being sought after for their ability to multitask and be more fluid within the different departments. Question 5: What type of work will the high school dropouts and immigrants who used to be selected to work in these car plants now be doing? The high school dropouts and immigrants may be given an opportunity to prove themselves through the use of the rigorous testing Ford has implemented for their hiring processes, but chances are that these individuals will be demoted or let go for more menial labor positions. Question 6: What benefits will Chrysler get from educating high school students? The recruits will be highly educated in the areas in which Chrysler consider important and will be work-ready upon their graduation from high school. This means that the people that they are educating while still in school will be valuable assets to their company as soon as they graduate. Once they are available to the general workforce, there will be no delay in these individuals ability to begin being of service to Chrysler. CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: Upon submission of this paper I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared specifically for this course. ************************************************************************ Instructor’s grade on assignment: ______________ Instructor’s comments:

Analysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli - 1314 Words

MACHIAVELLI’S LIVED WORLD: SETTING CONTEXT Niccolà ² Machiavelli’s The Prince was written in a time of political and civil unrest in Italy. For decades the city-state of Florence suffered several political uprisings and the establishment of new governments. From tyrannical rule to the creation of a democratic republic, and finally the re-establishment of the Medici family, The Prince comes from Machiavelli’s lived experiences in these political regimes. Machiavelli blames the division of Italy into city-states and the socio-political unrest on ecclesiastical authorities and the Church. The Church’s reliance on mercenary arms, and the influence of the papacy are blamed for the power struggle amongst the city-states. The Prince was written†¦show more content†¦Third, along with being feared, a prince can utilize violence against the people to control the state. However, violence can only be used all at once because it will be more effective. Utilizing violence will bring state success because it will force social cohesion to issues/tasks that are necessary for stability and prosperity. However, a prince must be sure not to incite hatred against him. Should a prince steal property or a man’s wife, he will be hated and from this he loses the trust of citizens. Finally, a prince is most successful when he is practicing forethought yet acting decisively (consequentialist). A prince cannot be cautious and fail to take control of situations. If he is cautious, it makes him look weak. A prince must be proactive in decision-making, and cannot leave things to chance. CRITIQUING MACHIAVELLI: THE FAULTS OF MACHIAVELLI’S HERO Machiavelli’s ruler traits may be more realistic than Plato’s as they are representative of human nature, but Machiavelli fails to give a â€Å"perfect† ideation of his prince. Machiavelli uses the example of Cesare Borgia, the son of Pope Alexander VI, as his hero. Borgia was instructed to control Romagna whose citizens were causing political unrest and not paying taxes. To do this, Borgia appointed a duke, Messer Remirro de Orco, to bring order to the territory through violence if necessary. De Orco goes to Romagna and commits murder to have people fall in line.Show MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli832 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli (1469–1527) has lived in an era when the Florence, Italy had become the battleground for the foreign forces and was suffering from political destruction. Moreover, an era of the Renaissance was in the process and being a philoso pher of renaissance era, he put forward quite controversial theories and philosophies. His comprehensive work The Prince is considered as a remarkable piece of historical writing not only for the age of renaissance but also for the contemporary age. HeRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli871 Words   |  4 PagesThe Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli From the moment a child is born from the womb, they are consistently instructed to follow the strict rules of what is classified as morally correct in order to succeed in life, and yet, The Prince, composed by Niccolo Machiavelli of Florence, goes against every word of these such instructions. The Prince is a historically controversially book written for Lorenzo de Medici, intended to assist him in improving the situations occurring in Italy at the time. In thisRead MoreThe Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli Analysis948 Words   |  4 PagesComposed nearly 500 years ago, Niccolo Machiavellis The Prince presents another perspective on the meaning of virtue. Machiavellis definition contended against the idea presented by the Catholic Church. Machiavelli did not force any opinions of his own, somewhat he composed from his experience and whatever theory that prompts activities which created successful results in the political scene of Italy and different nations. While Machiavelli contin ues to be scrutinized for his thoughts, in allRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1094 Words   |  5 Pageswhen their real personality is revealed. In the nonfiction essay, The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli, Machiavelli delineates the requirements to be a successful leader over a powerful state. He suggests numerous times that a prince should govern an empire with a image that is dominant but caring for citizens while ruling ruthlessly and appealing to the people if possible. Machiavelli’s principles of a dominant and ruthless prince may not be globally accepted but they are efficient and accurate despiteRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1192 Words   |  5 Pagesthis: it was a duty to be the best. Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian Humanist, wrote  The Prince  as a guide for his own prince, Lorenzo De Medici, to promote himself into the political arena of Italy. He analyzed power and the way Italy could become its own state and keep control. His extensive explanations were driven by his own fascination with power and his desire for an independent Italy. The Prince expresses the effectual truth of t hings and the idea that a prince must not be just and fair when comingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1020 Words   |  5 PagesInterestingly, Niccolo Machiavelli in his work The Prince would disagree. Written for the Medici lords, The Prince offers advice on how to obtain and rule a principality. To do this, he must first explain the nature of man and adjust the method of ruling them accordingly. Machiavelli believes humans by nature are corrupt, so the Prince must also be corrupt to succeed. In order to prove Machiavelli’s opinion, it is first necessary to understand what he defines as success. Machiavelli believes thatRead MoreAnalysis Of The Prince By Niccolo Machiavelli1755 Words   |  8 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli’s â€Å"The Prince† provides guidelines for how the leader of a state should conduct himself, and the actions he should take to consolidate and maintain power. While Socrates does not explicitly discuss what he believes a good leader should do and how he should act in either â€Å"Apology† or †Crito†, he presents his opinion on how men in general should conduct themselves, and how a government should be run. Based on the accounts given, Socrates would vehemently disagree with Machiavelli’sRead MoreAnalysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 1625 Words   |  7 PagesOne well-known Renaissance thinker, Niccolo Machiavelli, was one of those philosophers whose political views caused an uproar during earlier ce nturies. His view on effective leadership was rather harsh and not exactly adopted in the Italian society. As a Renaissance citizen, Machiavelli proved his writing skills through a number of works such as short stories, plays, and histories. His more popular works included those call the Discourses on Livy and The Prince-which will be described further moreRead MoreEssay on Analysis of The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli517 Words   |  3 Pages The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli is about the origination of a prince. More or less how a prince can start from the bottom and become a great king or die at the feet of his people before reaching his prime. To become a prince there are many different ways which is explain in this book for example To arrive at this position depends not entirely on worth. Stating that there are a number of way you can become a prince by Favor of the people, but must maintain a healthy friendship and offer protectionRead MoreAn Analysis Of Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince 941 Words   |  4 PagesNiccolo Machiavelli and Karl Marx developed theories concerning wealth and poverty in our society, as well as different types of governments. For instance, Machiavelli supported a capitalist economic system, unlike Marx, who embraced socialism in the society. Machiavelli wrote a book The Prince that explained how to be an effective leader. The theme of the book is the end justifies the means. A person could or should do whatever is necessary to achieve the desired goal. According to Machiavelli

Project Plan For A New Practice Management System - 959 Words

Introduction In this assignment I am going to outline a project plan in my workplace – Melbourne PC. The assignment will address the objectives and vision of this project, start up activities, stakeholder analysis, monitoring process and financial plan. Strategy vision The project vision is to invest in people, business process improvements, technology infrastructure and new practice management system to provide operational stability and to support growth and relevant operational objectives for next 5 to 7 years. Project Overview We are engaged in a procurement process for a new practice management system (PM system) for our Melbourne PCs and health centers. The new system will replace the current PM system. This system has served†¦show more content†¦To accomplish these goals, the project will require: †¢ Commitment from project stakeholders including organizational management, Melbourne PC management, project team, and technology staff †¢ The availability of resources (including significant staff time) to assure the completion of high quality deliverables by the consultants †¢ A Melbourne PC project leader to handle the day to day communications and logistics †¢ Rapid response and decision-making by stakeholders, executives, managers, and other project participants within their defined scopes of authority The PM system procurement project described in this proposal will include four distinct phases: Project Initiation, RFP Development, System/Vendor Selection, and Vendor Contracting. Goals and Objectives Several high-level goals and objectives have been identified. These can also be considered guiding principles as the team moves though the system selection process. †¢ The PM system must be user friendly to facilitate effective training and operations in a fast paced environment. The consultants will help clearly define â€Å"user friendly† so this requirement can be included in the RFP and objectively evaluated during the selection process. †¢ The PM system must support the organizational goal of growth, having the capacity to scale up to 20 Melbourne PCs. †¢ The PM system must facilitate better utilization of our current facilities and staff, allowing for as many as 200,000 patient visits a year by 2010. †¢ The